Download Differences - Christianity VS Islam

Christianity VS. Islam
Evangelism
Jihad
VS.
I. Definitions
II. Demand for Inspiration of God
III. Differences
IV. Desire of God for All to be Saved
definitions
Evangelism: is the teaching/preaching of the Gospel of Christ. This word itself is not in the Bible,
but evangelist (s) is (Acts 21:8; Eph. 4:11; 2 Tim. 4:5). The word translated evangelist (s) means
“a bringer of good tidings, an evangelist”; “the name given to the NT heralds of salvation
through Christ who are not apostles” (Thayer).
Jihad: “a holy war undertaken by Muslims against unbelievers”; ORIGIN from Arabic jihād,
literally ‘effort,’ expressing, in Muslim thought, struggle on behalf of God and Islam” (New
Oxford American Dictionary). “Though not a part of the Five Pillars, the jihad is a duty
usually associated with them. The word means ‘exertion’ or ‘struggle’ on behalf of God.”
(Brantley, http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=8&article=254). Jihad
appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the
way of God (al-jihad fi sabil Allah)"
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_and_violence#cite_note-Merriam-21). Lit. "An effort, or a
striving." A religious war with those who are unbelievers in the mission of Muhammad.. It is
an incumbent religious duty, established in the Qur’an and in the Traditions as a divine
institution, and enjoined specially for the purpose of advancing Islam and of repelling evil
from Muslims (A Dictionary Of Islam by THOMAS PATRICK HUGHES, B.D., M.R.A.S.;
from http://www.answering-islam.org/Books/Hughes/).
Demand
For
Inspiration
Demand for Inspiration
The Bible claims inspiration (2 Tim. 3:16-17, etc.).
The Quran claims inspiration (Surah 2:1-5).
They both CANNOT be true, for they contradict one
another, so there is an absolute demand for the
inspiration of God.
The one inspired of God is right, and the one not
inspired by God is wrong!
Differences
An honest investigation of Christianity and Islam will
reveal differences.
Deity is NOT contradictory, therefore two religions
which teach conflicting doctrines CANNOT both be
from Almighty God.
What are the differences between evangelism and
jihad?
Differences
Clarification on an Important Matter
If one says the Quran authorizes in the same manner God did under the law
of Moses, please consider the following:
In reference to God ordering violence to be performed, “He did so in
order to eliminate the morally corrupt Canaanite civilizations who lived in
Palestine prior to the Israelite occupation of the land (Deuteronomy. 9:4;
18:9-12; Leviticus 18:24-25, 27-28)...Their moral depravity was ‘full’
(Gen. 15:16)” (Miller, pp. 192-193).
The Old Testament pointed to Christ (Gal. 3; Heb. 10), and under that
temporary system, God governed in a manner He does not today.
Differences
The law of Moses was designed to be temporary; it had an intended purpose (see
again Gal. 3; Heb. 10), and during that temporary time period, God did order His
people to inflict violence on people so that His children would remain pure. All of the
heathen who were to be driven out were not, and the children of Israel became
involved in idolatry and ultimately went into captivity (Jos. 15:63; 16:10; 17:12; 23:13).
The nation of Israel was under a government which combined the civil and the
religious, and contrary to what some may believe, God never designated or approved
of personal retaliation.
“The New Testament law does not differ with the Old Testament in the areas of proper
values, ethics, mercy, and justice. The ‘eye for an eye’ injunctions of the Old
Testament were designed to be prohibitive in their thrust, i.e., they humanely limited
and restricted legal punishment to a degree in keeping with the crime” (Miller, pp.
191-192). Note: The Old Testament teaches that vengeance belongs to the Lord (Deu.
32:35).
Differences
The [unmarried] woman or [unmarried] man found guilty of sexual intercourse - lash each
one of them with a hundred lashes, and do not be taken by pity for them in the religion of
Allah , if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a group of the believers
witness their punishment....And those who accuse chaste women and then do not
produce four witnesses - lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from them
testimony ever after. And those are the defiantly disobedient, Except for those who repent
thereafter and reform, for indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful (Surah 24: 2, 4-5; All
Quran quotations are from http://quran.com/).
Old Testament and Quran in Conflict
Old Testament
Quran
40 stripes (Deu. 25:3)
100 stripes for the fornicator
and 80 for those who accuse
without having 4 witnesses
2 or 3 witnesses (Deu.
17:6).
4 witnesses
Differences
Under the new covenant, there is no special consideration given to being born into a particular group
of people, and the system of justice which was set up under the law of Moses is not in practice under
the new covenant.
“God has assigned to civil government (not the church or the individual) the responsibility of
regulating secular behavior. God’s people who live posterior to the cross of Christ (i.e., Christians) are
not charged by God with the responsibility of inflicting physical punishment on the evildoer. Rather,
civil government is charged with the responsibility of maintaining order and punishing lawbreakers
(Romans 13:1-7; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-14)” (Miller, pp. 193).
It is not accurate to say God’s commanding His people to inflict violence under the law of Moses is
equivalent to jihad.
The focus of this topic is to contrast jihad with evangelism, which is a practice of Christianity. Note:
The old law has been fulfilled (Mat. 5:17), nailed to the cross of Christ (Col. 2:14).
Evangelism
When Christ sent disciples to “preach the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:2), He told them that if they were
not received, they were to “shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them” (Luke
9:5).
Jesus did not command His followers to inflict violence for His cause, in fact, the Lord rebuked Peter
when he utilized the sword to inflict bodily harm (Mat. 26:51-52; Luke 22:49-51; John 18:10-11).
Jesus’ followers were not to fight to establish Christianity; Jesus said His “servants would fight” if His
“kingdom were of this world,” (John 18:36).
Evangelism consists of Christians teaching the Gospel of Christ (Mat. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts
8:4; 2 Tim. 2:2), and the weapon of a Christian is not carnal (2 Cor. 10:3-6; Eph. 6:11-18).
A study of the book of Acts will clearly reveal that the Christians evangelizing did not inflict physical
harm to people in spreading the Gospel; it is not the duty of a Christian to inflict violence to further the
cause of Christ.
“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that
curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you” (Luke 6:27-28).
Jihad
Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like
transgressors. And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have
expelled you, and fitnah is worse than killing. And do not fight them at al-Masjid al- Haram until they fight
you there. But if they fight you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers. And if they
cease, then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. Fight them until there is no [more] fitnah and [until]
worship is [acknowledged to be] for Allah . But if they cease, then there is to be no aggression except
against the oppressors. [Fighting in] the sacred month is for [aggression committed in] the sacred month,
and for [all] violations is legal retribution. So whoever has assaulted you, then assault him in the same way
that he has assaulted you. And fear Allah and know that Allah is with those who fear Him (Surah 2:190194).
Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good
for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not. They ask
you about the sacred month - about fighting therein. Say, "Fighting therein is great [sin], but averting
[people] from the way of Allah and disbelief in Him and [preventing access to] al-Masjid al-Haram and the
expulsion of its people therefrom are greater [evil] in the sight of Allah . And fitnah is greater than killing."
And they will continue to fight you until they turn you back from your religion if they are able. And whoever
of you reverts from his religion [to disbelief] and dies while he is a disbeliever - for those, their deeds have
become worthless in this world and the Hereafter, and those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide
therein eternally (Surah 2:216-217).
Jihad
It is not for a prophet to have captives [of war] until he inflicts a massacre [upon Allah 's enemies] in the
land. Some Muslims desire the commodities of this world, but Allah desires [for you] the Hereafter. And
Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise. If not for a decree from Allah that preceded, you would have been
touched for what you took by a great punishment. So consume what you have taken of war booty [as
being] lawful and good, and fear Allah . Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful (Surah 8:67-69).
“vv. 67-69 were revealed when the Prophet had decided to spare the lives of the prisoners taken at
Badr and hold them to ransom, against the wish of Omar, who would have executed them for their
past crimes. The Prophet took the verses as a reproof, and they are generally understood to mean
that no quarter ought to have been given in that first battle” (Pickthall, p. 144 from Miller, p. 187).
Do you see a contradiction in the following?:
“The spread of Islam occurred in waves. In less than a century after the establishment of the first
Islamic society in Medina by the Prophet, Arab armies had conquered a land stretching from the Indus
River to France and brought with them Islam, which, contrary to popular Western conceptions, was
not, however, forced on the people by the sword” (Seyyed Nasr 2003, p. 17, from Miller, p. 191)
Jihad
“Then the Messenger of Allah commanded that ditches should be dug, so they were dug in the earth,
and they were brought tied by their shoulders, and were beheaded. There were between seven
hundred and eight hundred of them. The children who had not yet reached adolescence and the
women were taken prisoner, and their wealth was seized” [Ibn Kathir, on Quran 33:26].
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Banu_Qurayza).
“For too long, we Muslims have been sticking fingers in our ears and chanting "Islam means peace"
to drown out the negative noise from our holy book. Far better to own up to it. Not erase or revise, just
recognize it and thereby join moderate Jews and Christians in confessing "sins of Scripture," as an
American bishop says about the Bible. In doing so, Muslims would show a thoughtful side that builds
trust with the wider communities of the West” (IRSHAD MANJI, more:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1083918,00.html#ixzz1XuIulzxX;).
“The number of campaigns which he led in person during the last ten years of his life is twenty-seven,
in nine of which there was hard fighting. The number of the expeditions which he planned and sent
out under other leaders is thirty-eight” (n.d., p.xxvi; Pickthall quote from Miller pp. 188-189).
Differences
Stark Contrasts
Islam
Christianity
Persecution is worse than
Pray for those who
killing; it is better to kill
persecute you (Mat. 5:44);
than to be persecuted
they rejoiced they were
(Surah 2:190-194; 216counted worthy to suffer
217).
for Christ (Acts 5:41).
Attack in like manner
(Surah 2:190-194).
Turn the other cheek (Mat.
5:39).
Authorized to take up arms
against enemies (Surah Love enemies (Mat. 5:44).
4:101-104).
Muhammad led violent war
campaigns
Christ never fought a
physical war to advance
His cause
Differences
The Quran is in direct violation with what Jesus
taught, and the Quran teaches Jesus is a messenger
of Allah.
If Jesus was a messenger of Allah, speaking Allah’s
message, but the Quran has teachings which directly
conflict teachings of Christ in the Bible, does that
present a problem for Muslims? The honest answer is
yes.
Desire of God for all to be saved
The evidence clearly shows the God of the Bible is the One, True, Living
God, and He “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of
the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4, NKJV).
No one can be saved without the Gospel (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 15:1-4), and
evangelism consists of teaching the soul saving Gospel to people.
Christians have a duty to teach the Gospel to the lost. Christian friend, do
you take your duty seriously?